Gate-fastener operator



Jan. 7, 1930. P. CUNNINGHAM GATE FASTENER OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 16, 1928 Jan. 7, 1930. P. CUNNINGHAM 1,742,533

GATE FASTENER OPERATOR Filed March 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EELE;

HI: V V I V WIN Z0 6 4 '5 Patented Jan. 7, '1930 PERRY CUNNINGHAM," orMAmsomsourn DAKOTA GATE-FASTENEB OPERATOR Application filedclvlarch 16,1928. Serial m5; 262,118.

This invention relates to agate fastener operator, and pertains moreparticularly to a gate fastener which can be operated by foot fromeither side thereof.

The'primary object of the invention is to provide a gate fasteneroperator which can be easily and quickly applied to gates of commonmanufacture, and further aims to provide a gate fastener operator whichis of simplc and economical construction and one in which the parts arecompactly assembled or related. p

A further object of the invention is to provide a gate fastener operatorin which the 5 bottom horizontal bar of the gate is employed as afulcrum and supportfor the foot operatedmemberr In the-drawings I V Fig.1 is a side elevation of the invention 0 applied to a gate of well knownconstruction Figs. 2, 3' and 1 are sections on lines 22, 3-3 and Hrespectively of Fig. 1.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, I have shownsame applied to P agate of well known construction in which latter theframe is formed of metal tubing and has a bottom bar 1,5a front verticalbar 2 and a top bar 3, the frame being covered by mesh-wire fabric asusuah The keeperfi is of conventional form and is attached to a post 5,while the latch is also of conventional form and includesa substantiallyL-shaped spring member 6 secured at 7 to the vertical member 2 of thegate and is provided at its upper end i v with a'U-shaped member 7 thatisintegral therewith and which is formed with finger grips 8 whereby thelatch can be operated from either side of the gate. The rings orfingerengaging members 8 extend on oppo site sides of the gate as shownin Figs. 2 and 3 and are connected by a cross bar 9. A bracket 10 isprovided and which as shown in Fig. 4 isformed of a single piece ofmetal doubled upon itself intermediate its ends so as to form an eye 11which latter receives the vertical member 2 of the post thereinand whichis clamped to the latter by the use of a bolt 12; The free ends13 of thebracket 10 are spread apart and receive therebetween a bell crank lever14, the lever being pivoted to the endsofthe rods 21 areattached bymeans of bracketlby means of a ton; 15.- s A iinkie is formed with ahook shapedend 17 whichlat ter engages overthe connecting bar 9 of thelatch. Theouter end of the link :16 is bifur- 'cated to receive theupper end of the bell V pivoted thereto by means I cranklever 14 and isof a bolt 17.

A foot engaging member in the form'of a plate 18 is provided and whichhas a clip 19 attached thereto by means of bolts 20. As depicted in Fig.8 of the drawings, the clip 19 embraces the lower horizontal bar 1 ofthe gate frame and connects the foot treadle or member 18 to the gateframe 1n a'manner permitting oscillation of the-member 18 aboutthelower'bar 1 of the gate'as a fulcrum. A pair'of divergent rods 21 areemp'loyedwhich latter engage in anaperture 22 formed in the lower end ofthe bell crank lever, while the nuts 22 to'the outer end portionsof thefoot member 18. c

5'FIOII1 the foregoing itwill be-seenthat the "foot member l8projectsanequaldistance from each side of the gate, therebyenabling't'he'gate tobe operated from eitherlsi'de thereof. In addition, it willbe noted that the foot 7 I 'member is normally held in the horizontalposition depicted inFig. 3 by the action" of the spring latch 16, whichlat-ter after' operation assumes-the position shown-in Fig.1, and due'toits-being connected male 11111; 16- and the latter to the bell cranklever 14 and through-the rods 21 to the foot member 18, the footmember-will also be restored to its normal horizontal positionafterreleasa It will also be observed thatjthe gate is not disturbed oraltered in any way whatever, it

merely being necessary 'in or'dejr to'apply the invention to manipulatethe three, bolts 12,

easily and quickly applied to and removed from the gate. v r VWhatisclaimed is 2+- v I 1. A vgate"-fast'ener operator for use-with '90'15 and-20, 2O, whic'h enables the device to be a gate havingahorizontal bottom bar and a 1 front vertical bar and a spring latchhaving "a cr0ss'ba'r,including a bracket engaged about said "front barand having spaced free ends, means-to clamp the bracket to said frontbar, a v

bell crank lever received in the space between and means between thelatch and the-foot said free ends of the bracket, means to pivmember foroperating the latch from the foot otally connect the bell crank lever tosaid In free ends of the bracket, a link pivoted at one end to the upperend of the bell crank and having a hook at its opposite end engaged withthe cross bar of the latch, a footengaging member formed to underlie andengage ating means and to the foot .member for said bottom bar of thegate, a clip formed to rotatably extend around the bottom bar of the Igate, means to secure the clip to the foot mem= her so as to permit bothto oscillate about said bottom bar of the gate, and rods disposed onopposite sides of the gate and connected to the lower end of the bellcrank lever and to opposite ends of the foot member.

2. A gate fastener operator for use with a b gate having a horizontalbottom bar and a front vertical bar and a spring latch having a crossbar, including a bracket, means to ser cure the bracket to the front barof the gate, a bell crank lever pivoted to the bracket, a link pivotedto thearm of the lever and having a hook engaged with the'cross bar ofthe latch, a footmember, means to rotatably secure the foot membersubstantially central of its length to the bottom bar of the gate,

and rods connected to the other arm of the lever and to the respectiveopposite ends of the foot member. 7

3.;Agate fastener operator for use with gates having, a-bottom bar and as ring latch, including a foot member forme to extend on opposite sidesof the bar, means directly engaged with and extending about said bar andsecured to said foot member to turnably connect the latter to the bar sothat the bar itself provides a fulcrum for the member, means connectedto the latch to operate same, means to mount'said last named meansember. In testimon on the gate, and means connected to the oper sactuating the operating means from the foot member.

4. A gate fastener operator for use with gates having a bottom bar and aspring latch, including a foot member formed to extend on opposite sidesof the bar, means engaged about said bar and securedto said foot memberto turnably connect the latter to the bar 7 so that the bar provides afulcrum for the member, a bell crank, means to vpivotally mount the bellcrank on the'gate,cmeans to connect one arm of the bell crank to thelatch, 5

and connections between the other arm of the bellcrank and opposite endsof the foot memher to actuate the latch from the foot member. 5. A gatefastener operator for use with gates having a bottom bar and aspringlatch,

including a foot member formed to extend r on opposite sides of the bar,means directly engaged with and extending about said bar and secured tosaidfoot member to turnably connect the latter to the bar so that thebaritself; provides a fulcrum for themember,

y whereof I afiix my signature PERRY CUNNINGHAM.

